The view through the snow storm to Canada’s Parliament Hill, from Major’s Hill Park, Ottawa. The town’s artificial lighting turned both the snow and the sky an almost-post-apocalyptic shade of pink, and gave the place an eerie, otherworldly feeling.

Technically, here in the southern hemisphere we are two weeks into spring, but it sure doesn’t feel like that today! In honour of today’s chilly weather, I present an appropriately wintery picture from my last trip to Canada. I arrived in time for the first snow-storm of the season – quite a shock for an Aussie who had never seen snow lying on the ground before. But despite the weather, there were still a few hardy souls braving the elements, including this lone figure trudging her way home through Major’s Hill Park.